


The Visitor

by VeroniqueLeNoir



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Freedom, Gen, M/M, On the Run, POA, Prisoner of Azkaban, Romance, Sirius Black as Padfoot, harry potter fan fiction, post azkaban, sirius black - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-12-20 09:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11917692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeroniqueLeNoir/pseuds/VeroniqueLeNoir
Summary: When she found a stray and took him in, Animal Communicator, Angela Dunbar had no idea what she was in for...Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban and is on the run, barely escaping the Aurors sent after him He has traveled all over the world to find someplace safe to hide so that he may regain his strength in order to protect his godson Harry.Then he finds himself in rural Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on a gentleman's farm owned by Doctor and Misses Paul Dunbar. The couple take him in and lead him on the way to recovery.He's lost his best friends, his freedom and almost lost his soul and he's vowed never to lose Harry...but will he lose his heart trying to get back to him?





	1. Prologue

Sirius Black stared across the beach at the Aurors fast approaching from the west; reminded him of one of those serial Westerns, only in reverse. He had no issue what so ever disapparating in front of a few muggles on the beach at that hour...the local wizards would take care of that issue...and what was it to him that another "issue" would be added to the ever-growing list of infractions that he had been accused of...some of them having been well deserved, but most of them not.

He was focused on one man...the large black man in the middle walking with purpose, leading the pack as it were. Finally, they approached him and Sirius grinned as he looked up at the man now silhouetted by the setting son... _Kingsley Shacklebolt_.

"Well, you're looking quite fit," he said, looking Sirius up and down as he reclined on the chaise, his toes in the sand and a drink in his hand..a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"So are you, old friend." Sirius looked at him in his swimming trunks and opened shirt as he moved to stand before Sirius and nodded... _Shacklebolt was ripped...just like he used to be..._ _he remembered combat training with the man, learning about muggle weaponry, the many trips to the auror's gymnasium to build up his physical strength..._

"Hey, who are you callin' old?"

Sirius grinned and shrugged one shoulder.

"You've no where to go. Why don't you come with me now? I promise they'll treat you fairly."

"Ah, come on Kingsley! You know damned well that the second we land safely in England, that they'll have my body drawn and quartered!"

"Sirius..."

"After they let the dementors have me that is," he added.

" _Sirius..._ "

Sirius shook his head. "No can do my old friend. You're gonna hafta catch me. Hey, that can be added to your plaque at work...Kingsley Shacklebolt, Auror: First Class, Ace Dog Catcher..."

Shacklebolt cocked his head to the side.

He saw a pretty new Auror and he eyed her up and down. "Hello Gorgeous," he cooed. "And who might you be?"

"Your _cousin_. Now stand down and let us bloody-fucking help you, you stupid git!"

"Cousin?" Sirius was lost in thought. And then it came to him. "Bugger me! Little Nymphadora Tonks is all grown up! Well well...look at you! You're definitely a Black!"

"Don't _call_ me _Nymphadora!_ " 

"Yeah, she really hates that," another Auror said as he poked his head around Kingsley's broad shoulder. "Hello Sirius," he said.

"Aww! Hello Smythe," he said warmly. "Sorry I had to ditch you back at Chez Azkaban, but I had things that needed tending to. You understand...?"

Smythe nodded and returned the warm smile. "I do, yes. But you should have just told me Sirius...I might have been able to help you..."

Sirius stood and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm a little hard-headed when it comes to that sort of thing. You know that." He looked again to Tonks. "So, how are Andromeda and Teddy?"

The young woman's face softened and she nodded. "They're well. I'll tell them that you asked about them."

Sirius smiled and nodded his head. "Please do. Give them my love, won't you?" Then he stood up and stretched. Finally he turned to face them as he saw Remus running toward them moving faster than lightning behind them. "Well kiddies. I really hate to drink and run, but..."

"SIRIUS! _WAIT!_ "

Sirius' eyes locked on the speeding werewolf heading directly for his position.

"CAN'T DO THAT MOONY! LOOK AFTER HARRY FOR ME!"

The Aurors descended quickly upon Sirius, but he had already disapparated to parts unknown. 

"Damn it," Tonks spat. "His apparation rate is just to damned fast!"

"Always was," Remus said, out of breath as he leaned over, his hands resting on his knees. He stood up and looked into Kingsley's eyes. "Before you ask...no, I don't know where he's gone."

"Damn it," Kingsley said to no one in particular. "I can't believe we lost him _again!_ "

Remus Lupin's brow furrowed and he realized that what Sirius had told him months prior that he had eluded Shackelbolt so many times that he was absolutely convinced that he was let go on purpose was probably true...

"Kingsley simply isn't _that_ incompetent..." Sirius had told him.

_Sirius had an ally in the Ministry..._


	2. Chapter 2

The cold and windy Pennsylvania winter was upon them and she was pleased that there was not going to be a white Christmas after all.

Driving along the quarter mile driveway that they shared with the not-so friendly next-door neighbor, she saw a large disheveled black dog sitting on the wrap-around porch of said next-door neighbor. She stopped her car and stared upon the disheveled canine. She rolled down the window, the rain sprinkling in as she gazed at the dog. "Hi Puppy," she said. "You're new! What the hell are you doing outside?"

The dog looked up at her and tilted his head to see her smile at him. And he smiled causing her to chuckle.

She had last-minute purchases to make for the Christmas dinner she was hosting for her family. She had her husband had been going through a rough patch, but with the new year approaching, a promise of renewed trust and love was on the horizon.

She put her car in park aside the petrol pump and checked her handbag one more time to ensure that she did indeed have her shopping list. Once satisfied, she returned the list to her handbag and continued on her way to purchase the fuel.

After she fueled her car, she continued to the grocery store and made her selections, stood in line, trying like hell to be patient and then once her purchases were safely in her car, did she return the cart and get back in the car for the short trip home.

Driving back up the quarter-mile driveway, she looked for the dog and sure enough, there he was, laying down, with his huge head resting on his massive paws. She stopped the car again and he looked up with interest. She got out of the car and the dog sat up. "Do you even belong here Bud? I think I would have noticed you!"

She approached gingerly and watched the dog stand up, his tail wagging. She looked into his eyes quickly and saw the thin light-colored ring around large pupils and she stopped in her tracked and suddenly crouched down and turned to the side. Through her peripheral vision, she saw the dog tilt his head. "Alright, you're scared...I get it," she said as she turned away and stood up finally. She returned to her car and continued on for home.

About a half hour later, she walked down the driveway with meaty treats and a leash. He was in the side yard, watching the deer in the harvested corn field next to the house. She called out to the dog: "Hey Puppy!" He turned to look at her and took a step back. She reached into her tiny bag and threw a piece of raw meat toward him. The dog watched it sail in the air and land before him. He sniffed at the meat and ate it quickly. She smiled and reached into her bag again and  tossed another piece of meat toward him; he scarfed it up quickly.

After about a half hour, she managed to get the large dog to take the meat from her hand and she looked for any kind of collar or some other identifiable anything, suggesting that the dog may have merely strayed from home, or possibly from the home of someone who'd been housing guests? She turned up empty. "I wish I knew where you belonged, Puppy," she said with a sigh. "I'd like to get you home!" She knelt down before the large dog and lowered her head and the dog reached out gingerly to touch his nose to hers and then he licked her face, causing her to giggle. She fed another piece of meat to the dog and this time, he licked her fingers. And she smiled. "I hope that's because you like me and not cause my fingers taste delish," she joked. She slowly held up the leash. "Wanna come home with me Puppy? At the very least you'll be someplace warm and safe and you'll get fed..."

The dog merely looked up at her. Finally he reached toward her with his snout and she slipped the noose of leather around his neck and it tightened just a little so that it hung loosely as she turned and looked at him, feeding him another piece of meat.

Approaching the house, the dog spied two barn cats and he lowered his head. "Oh no you don't Puppy! My kitties are off limits! So are my horses!" She didn't yell, but she sensed that she knew that he understood as he stopped in his tracks and looked at her thoughtfully. "I need my cats," she said. "They keep the mice and rats away."

The dog growled.

She reached down and scratched her nails on the top of his head, noting how soft his fur was, even through the dried mud. "Damn," she said. "I bet you're stunning as hell when you're all cleaned up!"

They approached the house and turned the corner to enter in the main entrance of dog-training center that was attached to her house. "Come on, you're going to meet my husband," as his likeness was firmly affixed in her mind...A good-looking man with an athletic build, shoulder-length dark brown hair and pale blue eyes.

The dog stopped in his tracks and looked up at her.

"What? You didn't think I lived here by myself did ya? Oh hell no!" She laughed quickly...the dog was receiving her messages loud and clear...and she was picking up all kinds of things from him...he'd been in a not-too-hospitable "shelter" situation where they were not kind to him and he had escaped. At least, that's what she thought he was sending to her.

"Okay Puppy," she said. "Here we go. Be nice, okay?"

She opened the door and let the dog inside, his nose on over-drive... _so many yummy smells...She's cooking a feast! Hope I get some!_

The man sat in his chair and eyed the dog, remaining completely still. "I thought you said he was a puppy?"

She rolled her eyes and tilted her head, to and fro. "Well? He _might_ be. Puppy, this is Paul. Paul this is Puppy," she said brightly.

He raised his brow and looked at his wife and shook his head as he sighed. "Not likely Babe," he said. "Release him?" She removed the leather from around his neck and the dog sat on his haunches. The man tossed a treat toward him. The dog lowered his head and sniffed at the treat and turned his head. "What were you feeding him?"

"Stew beef," she said.

"Oh great. And here I am offering him shit!" He smiled. "Well, he's definitely gonna like you a whole lot better," he joked. "I know I would if I were him!"

She pursed her lips at him. "I'll leave you two to it. I've got to check on my stuff..."

"Make sure the crate's ready to go?"

She nodded. "Okay." She pursed her lips in a kiss before leaving the room from another door. The man watched the dog follow her with it's gaze as he took a step forward.

The man breathed in deeply. "Okay Puppy, let's see what you know alright?" The man held his hand out to him and the dog watched him with his eyes and didn't budge an inch. Finally, the man held his hand out, his palm up and asked the dog to sit. The large dog sat on his haunches immediately. He went to the basic set of visual and verbal cues, realizing that it was merely a run-through for the dog. Once he was satisfied he opened the door to their kitchen and the large dog walked through the door, past the staircase and he looked up the stairs and when he saw the large crate, he balked and growled menacingly.

She tried to smile. "Come on Puppy! It's too keep you safe!" He looked up into her eyes and she averted hers and he huffed loud enough she she returned her gaze to it's eyes. She saw no iris whatsoever. "He's terrified Paul," she said in a low voice.

"I can see that," the man said, trying like hell to keep his composure as he slipped the leash around it's neck again only to cause him to thrash about, large teeth snapping harshly as the man led him into the kitchen. The dog thrashed so ferociously, that he slipped the leash from his neck and moved toward the woman, tripping her up, causing her to fall onto her back. The dog quickly moved, and stood over her and slowly lowered his mouth toward her neck. She could feel his sharp canines on her skin as he looked at her face and stared into her eyes. _NO! Not going back!_

"Angela, _don't move_ ," the man said quietly.

She closed her eyes and gave it her all not to cry...she was terrified. _Please go into the crate...no one's going to hurt you...I promise Puppy...I promise...Gods, I solemnly swear it...Go into the crate...Please..._

The dog released her throat and tilted his massive head then backed off of her as he felt the leather of the leash around it's neck again and he whipped his head back to glare at the man she called Paul.

"Come on, Pooch, you're going in there, or you're going back outside. I don't fucking care which," he said sharply as he led the dog to the crate and threaded it through the bars but the large dog walked calmly into the crate and turned around as the man quickly secured the the door, his large tail knocking into the metal bucket of cool clean water. The dog looked toward the woman as she covered her face and wept hard. The man knelt down beside her and picked her up to hold her into his arms, hoping to comfort her.

The dog whined.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Padfoot finally lay down in the large crate that had once belonged to one of their dogs and looked around the room. The house was old...turn of the century; _it smells old,_ he thought. He looked at the Halloween decorations that had been left out..."The Witch is In," boasted of the decorative signs. Another one said, "Come and Set a Spell." He looked above a door to see a small broomstick decorated with lavender and bright ribbons... _a protection charm? She doesn't_ _feel_ _quite like a witch...but she is a Legilimens; she's in my head...how can that be?_

He was so confused.

He craned his neck to watch her prepare the food for the upcoming feast. She seemed to do everything with great intention, he looked hard at the handles of the wooden spoons and saw tiny pentacles burned into the wood... _Pagans...ah...now it makes sense_ , he thought. He grinned and leaned on the metal of the crate. _Well, they haven't tried to hurt me yet...too weak...too weak to defend..._

Padfoot dozed off as she continued to stir her culinary offering, half leaning on the crate behind her. She poured herself another cup of coffee and moved around the large crate in the middle of the room and sat down at the table to look at him.

"It's not jail, you know," she said.

"What's that hon," the man said.

"Talking to the dog," she replied.

"Ah. And what does he say back? Anything?"

"Not yet. I sense confusion from him though. Like he doesn't know what to make of all of this."

The man nodded. "Well, maybe whoever had him last mistreated him? It could be anything though. And he's not talking, so we don't know. You know?"

She smiled and chuckled as she nodded. "Yeah. He seems really smart though, maybe I can get him to open up?"

The man nodded again. "Well, smart isn't always a good thing. But yeah, he's had some training before. I'll take him in before supper and see if I can figure out what else he knows."

"Okay. Be careful though, he really doesn't like the crate. It's like jail or something."

"Well, it's _not_ doggy-jail," he said to the dog.

Padfoot huffed and rolled his eyes...and he made certain the woman saw it.

"Hmm..."

The man turned toward her. "What?"

"Well, I don't wanna get all new-age-y on you, but it's almost like he actually understands us."

The man raised his brow and rolled his eyes as he shook his head then went back to his book-work.

_____

Finally, it was time for the dogs to go outside. One by one, they took turns checking out the new dog. Padfoot noticed that he wasn't a big deal, until the large black and tan German Shepherd dog affectionately called Goliath took a look at him and then at the woman. _Mine_.

Padfoot turned his head and licked his chops. _No threat Mate_.

The man scratched on Goliath's head. "Come on Bubba, he's a friend. Be nice, it's the holidays and he's homeless right now!"

Goliath rolled his eyes and Padfoot moved toward the edge of the crate door. The large German Shepherd looked up toward Paul.  _You're such the bleeding heart! He better not mess up my room!_

Padfoot looked toward Angela as she giggled and scratched at Goliath's ears...Was she projecting their thoughts to the other? Goliath's thoughts were so clear, so concise...was he an animagus as well?

When the dogs returned, Padfoot watched the dogs as they arrived into the kitchen and ate their dinner of raw chicken. Padfoot licked his lips hungrily. Padfoot got kibble. _Junk food. But it's tasty junk food..._

He watched the old white dog called Gillie and the two girls, Heidi and Timber as well as Goliath eat their chicken after having been asked to wait until all the bowls had been placed on the floor. Heidi, a Keeshond was a smart opportunist and she took the opportunity to steal Timber's single piece of chicken while Timber studied Padfoot with a tilted head. Timber, a small Husky, looked over toward her and pouted. Goliath took the smaller piece of chicken from his bowl, which was larger than the one she had and dropped it on the floor before her. Timber ate it quickly before Heidi had a chance to steal that one too. Gillie wandered around to look for the water bowl, which apparently had been moved every so slightly. Padfoot winced when he realized that dog was blind as he watched the aging dog walk into the cupboard and he wondered if Heidi had ever stolen food from him too?

Angela rubbed Goliath on his back having seen this. "You're such a good boy, Goalie!"

Padfoot rolled his eyes and sighed and huffed when Timer shied up to Goliath and licked his face after he had finished his meal. Goliath looked to Padfoot and raised his head, causing Timber to whine and the large dog lowered his head a bit, still keeping his eyes rested on the visiting dog.

_Awww, she fancies the big, burly bad boy....I know what that feels like, mate. I do!_

Once the dogs were returned to their room, Paul let Padfoot from the crate to get a drink of water, then onto the "training room" for some one-on-one. "Come on bud, let's see what all you know?"

Paul and Padfoot were in the training room for well over an hour. Angela listened in through the closed door. The only conclusion that she could make was that Padfoot was bored. When they returned, she informed her husband as she looked into his eyes...he looked troubled.

"I think you are right hon," he said with a tired voice.

"Huh? What?"

He nodded and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I said it. I think you're right."

"About what?"

"He's smart. In all of my years working with dogs, I don't think I've ever come across a smarter canine." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "he's even smarter than _Goalie!_ "

She shrugged her shoulders as she looked over her shoulder at the visiting dog. "Poor Puppy! I wish I knew what happened to him."

"Still not talking?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

Paul sighed. "Okay. I guess we'll have to go about it the scientific way then?"

Angela eyed her husband over her shoulder as she placed an egg-washed, flour-covered chicken breast into the skillet to fry. When the oil splattered, she returned her attention to the stove and Padfoot snorted. She licked her wrist, then wiped the cloth dishtowel over it and she looked toward the large dog who was admittedly far too large for the crate he was in; the dog had been watching her closely. "Not funny," she muttered to him.

"What's that?"

"I was talking to the dog. I said that it wasn't funny that grease popped up."

"Oh...you okay?"

"Yeah," Angela replied. "You know what _is_ funny though?" She turned to look at her husband. "When I hear him, I hear an English accent!"

Paul rolled his eyes and nodded. "You're such an Anglophile!"

"Well I do!"

Paul shrugged his shoulders. "Ohh-kaaay..."

She sighed hard and opened the oven to check on her sweet potatoes and bread stuffing for the following day's Christmas dinner as Padfoot took in all the yummy scents.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The kitchen was a busy room on Christmas morning. Padfoot was let out into a small yard to do his business and when he was let back in, he found several pieces of raw chicken in his metal bowl. He was ecstatic! When Angela opened the crate to let him out so that he may get a drink of water, he watched her at the stove, stirring the contents of the small sauce pan with intention. He moved to sit beside her and licked her hand. She looked down at the large dog and smiled as she tapped the wooden spoon on the side of the metal pot. Her left hand reached down to rub at the top of his head, causing the dog to lean into her leg, resting his head on her hip; he sighed contentedly.

"I like you too Puppy," she whispered. "I hope you like getting a bath, because you're about to get one!"

Padfoot looked up at her and flattened his ears.

"No bathies? Too bad bud. You've probably got fleas and god forbid, ticks! I don't want those in my house!"

Padfoot whined.

She slipped the leash around his neck but he allowed her to lead him to her husband's training room and brushed out his fur and gently removed the mats as well as the burs and other debris that was stuck in his fur. Then, she led him to their bathroom and while he hesitated, he finally hopped in the tub and she ran the water and while he didn't like it at first, he didn't seem to mind it as she soaked him with the warm water and lathered his entire body, rubbing the shampoo into his fur. She let him sit the required seven minutes for the flea shampoo to kill any of the critters that were probably residing on him and she returned to rinse him off. He hopped out the second that she turned off the water and shook the water from his fur, thoroughly soaking her in kind. He grinned at her.

"Thanks a lot! Oh yeah, I bet you think you're funny, huh?" She put her hands on her hips as the large dog swished his wet tail on the rugs. "But guess what? You gotta go back into the crate now. I have people coming over. Lots of people...you think it's crowded in here now? Just wait..."

Padfoot lowered his head and walked away and sat before the crate and hung his head as if he were hoping to illicit a sympathetic response.

She stood before the dog and crouched down. "Holy fucking mother of god," she said. "You _do_ understand me, don't you!" She reached up and rubbed at his face with both hands. "You understand everything that comes out of our mouths!"

_Yes._

A mild sensation of shock filled her body and she plopped on the floor before the crate. "Holy shit!"

In her mind's eye, she saw a large stag, a tiny rat and something that looked like a creature that could only be described as a werewolf. She saw a large sprawling castle, a girl with dark auburn hair and a small baby boy with black hair and green eyes and finally a boy...a teenager with those same green eyes...he was showing her memories...

And she felt sadness. Complete and total sadness...and anger and the need for revenge.

She put her arms around the dog's neck. She didn't know that dogs could want revenge...A knock came upon her back door and they both looked toward the door. She stood quickly and wiped at her eyes. Padfoot pulled open the crate door and stepped inside, lowering his head and finally laying down.

"You're a good boy, aren't you," she said sadly as her sister walked in carrying several bags of gifts and more food.

"HELP," she yelled.

Padfoot pulled at the crate door with his massive paw. He stared at the latch hard and watched it slowly move into place, locking him in.

Angela had moved across the room and took a few of her sister's parcels. "Happy Christmas," she chirped, kissing her sister's cheek.

Laurie giggled. "Merry Christmas, Sissy!" She looked toward the large crate. "Not another one!"

"He's just visiting," Angela replied.

"Friendly?"

"Friendly enough."

Laurie crouched down and smiled.

_Witch_...

Laurie moved back. "Umm...Sissy....?"

"Yeah," Angela replied, removing the food from the bag.

"This _isn't_ a dog."

"What?! You're nuts!"

Padfoot raised his head quickly and stood, banging his head into the top of the crate, wincing.

"Oh, so what is he? A gorgeous hunk of English guy then?"

"Well, I don't know about the gorgeous hunk of English guy, but a guy, yeah. Or more specifically, a _wizard_."

Angela stared at her sister.

"You remember me telling you about the animagi, don't you?"

"I thought that was a myth?"

"NO! There's..." she lowered her voice, "the magic school in Africa teaches the charm to any student who wishes to learn it!"

"Oh.... _OH!_ "

"What!"

"Well, if that's the case then, this dog, guy, whatever he is has seen me _naked!_ "

Laurie closed her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, you're quite the little tart, aren't you! I'm telling Daddy!"

"No! It's not like that! I was coming out of the shower this morning and I forgot my housecoat!"

"You have a _towel_...you could have wrapped yourself up!"

Angel pointed. "He's a DOG! How was I supposed to know! _Besides, dogs don't care!_ "

"Come on! You communicate with animals everyday! Surely he's talked to you already!"

"Well I know he _understands_ me..."

Laurie looked toward her older sister with sympathy as she watched her sister fidget, covering her breasts through her blouse and pullover. Angela crouched down and looked into the crate. The dog was grinning at her and she could have sworn she saw him wink at her.

"Oh my god," she groaned. "Don't. Tell. Paul!"

Laurie grinned and nodded. "Don't worry, big sister, your secret's safe with me. So's his." She pointed at the dog. "Care to show us who you are, Mister Doggy?"

Padfoot tilted his head.

"Oh, so now you're going to play coy...is that it?" Laurie rolled her eyes and removed her wand from the secret pocket of her over coat. "I can make you, you know?"

Padfoot growled menacingly.

"Oh, you know what this is do ya," she turned toward her sister. "Does he have a name?"

"I call him Puppy."

" _Puppy..._ "

"Yeah. He seems okay with it. How about you leave him alone okay?"

"Why," Laurie chuckled.

Angela pointed to the crate. "Because I didn't lock that crate."

"Well, its locked now," Laurie said with a grin.

"That means _he_ locked it. Leave him alone... _now_."

Laurie clicked her tongue. "You're no fun. I wasn't going to hurt him!"

"Drop it."

"Fine..."

Angela crouched before Padfoot and looked into his nearly blackened eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I promised you that you'd be safe here. And you are. She's just a tad excitab..."

_Bitch_.

Angela threaded her fingers through the bars of the crate door and wiggled them. "Yeah," she sighed as Padfoot sniffed her fingers and the licked them causing her to smile.

"Tell ya what," Laurie said. "I'm gonna zip to my place and get a few books and we'll see what we can dig up, okay? I can tell that you really want to help him, whoever he is. I'll help do what ever I can...be back in a few!"

Before Angela could protest, Laurie disapparated from her sister's kitchen and returned with her arms full of books.

"We really do need to get you to Salem Sissy," Laurie said and set the many books on the table. "You really need your own wand!"

"We've been through this before! I don't know how to use one! You saw the mess I made with yours!"

Padfoot coughed as he curled up in the crate.

"That's because it was _MY_ WAND! It won't work for you! It's not it's a one size fits all kind of thing!"

Angela plopped herself into a kitchen chain and held her head in her hands.

"Come on, Sissy, let's take a weekend trip to Salem. We can take the dog with us?"

Padfoot sat up again, his massive tail swishing and thumping madly.

"You know what is really kind of embarrassing?"

"What's that?"

"I gave him a bath this morning," she groaned as she covered her face. "A _thorough_ bath."

Laurie covered her mouth with the palm of her hand so as not to laugh aloud. "Bet he liked that!"

Angela cut her eyes toward her sister. "Actually, I think he liked soaking me more afterward," she grumbled.

Laurie giggled so hard that tears filled her eyes and fell onto her cheeks. "I wish I could have seen that!"

"Oh yeah, it was great fun!" She turned to look at the dog who was grinning. "Wasn't it, Puppy?"

Padfoot barked happily as Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head.

 


	5. Chapter 5

All of Angela and Paul's dogs received presents of new collars and special treats. Angela felt bad that she didn't have anything special to give the dog and she remembered that she had extra goodies left over and she wrapped several home-made peanut butter biscuits and jerky treats that she had made for the dogs and the dogs of her husband's clients and gave them to Padfoot. He seemed happy to get the special goodies. When asked why she wrapped the food, Angela explained that it was merely busy-work for the dog to help him from becoming too bored. She explained that he was smart and a smart, bored dog was a perfect recipe for mischief...and now that she knew and understood that he wasn't really a dog, but a man...she thought he might appreciate the sentiment.

She _hoped_ at any rate.

"I'm sure he understands Sissy," Laurie said gently.

"I just feel bad for him. What if he's trapped inside that body?"

Laurie shook her head. "No, he's not trapped. I promise you."

"Then, why won't he change?"

"How do you know that he hasn't already? Maybe he's raided your fridge? Or watched the television while you two were upstairs asleep?"

Angela sighed as she glanced over at the large dog in the crate happily eating his peanut butter biscuits. She went down into the basement where the menfolk were watching television and shooting pool. She walked up behind her husband ad wrapped her arms around his waist. Paul wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him and kissed her brow as he waited for his partner, another veterinarian named John to take his shot on the table. John looked over and smiled at them.

"Honey, do we still have those extra rawhides?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I want to give Puppy one. He didn't get a present."

Paul smiled and chuckled as he shook his head. "You know, I think you've grown quite attached to that dog pretty quickly. Should I be jealous?"

"Oh yes, you should be incredibly jealous of Puppy! I'm leaving you for him!"

"Well shit! I guess I'm screwed then, huh?"

"Yup! I bet he'll keep me warmer at night than you do," she teased.

Paul curled his lip and rolled his eyes as his friend laughed, then sipped on his beer.

"So do we still have some?"

"Yeah Babe. They're in the trunk." He pointed to the back of the basement that served as storage with a chuckle and a shake of his head. She slipped past her father after he took his shot and went to the trunk where Paul told her they were. She unlatched the trunk and opened it. She held up a large KONG toy and waved it into the air and smiled sweetly. Paul squinted his eyes and then sighed as he nodded. "Go ahead."

"Yay!"

Paul laughed at his wife.

She took the goodies upstairs and opened the crate and asked the dog to exit the crate. Padfoot stood up and walked out, stretching his legs and back. He shook his entire body and then looked up at her. "I have pressies for you, Puppy!"

Padfoot tilted his head.

She held out the basted rawhide and he sniffed it. "Go on, take it. It's for you!"

Padfoot slowly reached out and gently took the rawhide from her hand.

"God, you're so good!" She then remembered that the dog wasn't really a dog and her shoulders fell. "Oh what the hell am I doing! You would probably rather have a turkey sandwich wouldn't you?" She sat at the table and held her head in her hands. She reached for the rawhide and Padfoot turned his head and grumbled.

_Mine_

She looked around to make certain that no one was around. "You really wanna chew that thing?"

Padfoot winked his left eye and returned to the crate to lay down, the rawhide between his paws and started working on it.

She moved toward the crate and "Listen, if you want to, you know, _transform_ , and make yourself an turkey sandwich, or maybe watch TV or something, feel free, okay? Just _please_ clean up after yourself okay? I don't want to have to explain this to Paul just yet until I have something to tell him. I don't know how he'd react. Especially knowing you're a wizard and all...I don't like keeping stuff from him though...we're still trying to work things out. So we need to figure something out. Soon."

What she didn't know was that Padfoot heard every word she had said to her husband downstairs in the basement, even over the television in the background.

 


	6. Chapter 6

First thing in the morning of April fourth, Paul roused himself from the comfort and warmth of their bed and padded downstairs for the shower. He figured that he'd be able to get in a quick one, get in a cup of coffee, and head for the airport for his flight to Tampa.  While on the phone, he called his travel companion to make taxi arrangements...and then his voice became much lower in volume and he walked into his training room and closed the door behind him. Padfoot strained to hear him and he was appalled at what he had overheard.

When Paul emerged from the other room, Padfoot scratched at the crate tone let out. Paul looked at him. "You know what Puppy? I think the crate should go. What do you think?"

Padfoot ignored him as he headed for the door and waited to be let out.  
_____

When he left, Padfoot opened the door of the crate and walked out, then transformed into his human form and stretched. He walked into the bathroom and relieved himself, then looked at his reflection in the mirror. The care and attention that Angela had shown him was proving to improve his appearance; he had put on weight and the circles under his eyes were all but gone. The raw food that they were feeding him, had removed most of the plaque from his teeth and they weren't quite as stained as they were. He flexed his arms and noted that his muscles were cut and defined again. He frowned...they were far smaller than they were when he was a teenager; he was now what was commonly referred to as, wiry. He looked at his beard and thought he ought to shave it off. Since he had no wand on him, he'd have to do it the muggle-way...or as Angela and Laurie said, the _no_ _maj_ way. He looked through the cupboard and found a new razor and walked back into the kitchen to grab Angela's cooking shears and walked back to the bathroom and commenced to cutting of the facial hair. He hoped that she knew how to cut hair, as he was in dire need of a haircut. He thought that he looked a little too much like Paul and that pissed him off.

When he finished, he opened the closet and withdrew a pair of towels and a face cloth and turned on the shower and stepped inside. He moaned with relief as he stood beneath the shower-spray. The water felt almost silky on his skin and he wondered if they had soft water like the hotel in Costa Rico that he had stayed in with Remus while on a trip for the Order over fifteen years prior.

He peered out from behind the shower curtain to look at the clock and realized that he had been in the shower a little longer than he meant to...Angela would be waking up soon and he knew that the bathroom was the first place she was going to go...it was the same every morning like clock work. But the shower felt soooo good...he thought of Paul and her arguing again in the late hours of the night. And he wondered if he should let on what he knew? Paul's perfect husband charade in public really irritated him to no end.

_Another night...another fight_ , she thought to herself. Angela woke up and donned her night shirt and panties and headed down the stairs. Over the three months that Puppy had been with them, she took great care not to be seen naked by him again.

She was happy that he fit in with the rest of the other dogs and she wondered how long he would be staying with them. Even Paul had put him to work calming frenzied dogs, his demeanor was so sweet that everyone loved him. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a sip. It was hot and she hissed as she burned her tongue a little. She heard the shower running and looked at the clock on the stove and saw that Paul was running late...or perhaps he had booked a later flight than she thought...or perhaps, she was remembering everything wrong? She thought that she'd take full advantage of the extra time and try to make up before he left for his trip.She didn't want him to leave if he was still upset from their argument.

She walked into the bathroom and relieved herself and grinned. She removed her nightshirt and panties and pulled back the shower curtain and as she stepped into the tub, she circled her arms around the soaked man leaning on his arm in the middle of the shower.

"Mmm...good morning," she purred. "Still mad?"

Sirius froze. He was aware that he was very similar in build as Paul and that their hair length was the same...he thought that they looked as if they could be closely related, almost like brothers.

"Mmm..." he murmured without meaning to and he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes closed tightly. It has been so long since he'd been with a woman and he had to remind himself that she wasn't his to be had...still, his nether-region was beginning to react.

"Did you book a later flight?" Her hands were moving up his chest pulling him closer to her and Sirius breathed in deeply, having felt her breasts against his back. He licked his lips. "Honey? Are you okay," she asked softly. "Please talk to me," she begged.

_Oh god, this is too much..._ " _Angela_ ," he said in a voice that was hoarse from non-use. "I'm not _Paul_."

"What!" She bodily turned him around and looked up into his eyes. "Oh....fuck me," she murmured quickly as she pulled away.

He smiled and actually gazed into her pretty eyes that were quickly filling with tears... _She is just_ _so...so_..."Well...I think God knows that I would love to, but erm, I think that Paul might take offense with that."

She nodded as she looked up into his eyes. "Yeah. Umm...Okaaaay. Well, umm...How about you turn back around and I'm umm going to step out of the shower and go someplace else and umm make myself _very small_...."

Sirius smiled uncomfortably and nodded as he looked at anything that wasn't her. He nodded finally. "Right."

He turned his back to her and she stepped out of the shower and grabbed her towel and wound it around her body and ran back upstairs.

Sirius turned around and cut the shower off and stood in the middle of the tub with his eyes closed. _She was absolutely mortified_ , he thought and he felt horrible. He had to think up some really cool way to make it up to her... _She's been so good to me as Padfoot..._

He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened up the door and realized that he had stepped on her night shirt and underwear. He picked them up from the floor and thought that he would at least return them to her. But he had to find her first. He looked up at the ceiling and heard her walking around upstairs. He headed upstairs.

"And OH MY GOD LAURIE! HE'S _BEAUTIFUL_!"

Sirius stopped on the stairs.

"YES I SAW HIM! HE'S IN THE SHOWER! I THOUGHT HE WAS _PAUL_! How could I be so stupid!"

He reached the landing and stood at the closed door.

"Oh god! I feel like such an idiot!" She sat down on the bed. "No of course not! He was a perfect gentleman!"

Sirius smiled and shrugged his shoulders and shook his head... _Ohhh love...if you only knew what I had been thinking..._

"Yes, he's still downstairs."

Sirius' eyes opened wide and he grimaced.

"Oh, I don't know! I don't think I could talk to him, not after this! I feel awful! I mean, the poor guy was just trying to take a shower and here I am, all up in his business and the only thing he could say was about not hurting Paul! How fucking precious is that!"

Sirius frowned and nodded as he looked down at the hardened muscle between his legs standing at attention...he still had yet to calm himself.

"Yes, yes he did, the poor man! You know, I wonder how long it's been for him? I mean, damn Laurie! I bet he could get anyone he wanted! Women and men _both_!"

Sirius grinned and nodded as he reached out to knock on the door, then thought better of it. He didn't wish to embarrass her further and he disapparated back to the bathroom.

"Hang on, I just heard something weird."

Angela cracked the door open and seeing no one, she opened the door a little wider and looked out onto the landing and stepped out to look down the stairs.

"What did you hear," Laurie asked. "Do you want me to come out?"

"No. No, it's okay. I'm just jumpy now I guess?"

"Well, now that you know what he looks like, what do you think?"

"I told you, he's beautiful. I mean, he looks kind of like he's been put through the ringer, but he's handsome as hell and he seems so sweet! _God!_ "

"Oh honey! Are you and Paul still fighting?"

"Yeah, but that's no excuse to cheat." She sighed. "You know what? He looks like he's the same size as Paul. Maybe I can find something for him to wear? Then maybe I can, you know, actually talk to him and get some information?"

Laurie giggled at her sister. "I think that's a good idea."

"Okay, I'll call you later okay?"

"Okay honey...talk to you then?"

Angela hung up the telephone and got dressed. She felt odd, not having taken a shower first, but at this point, she didn't care. She walked downstairs to find Padfoot in the middle of the kitchen sitting on his haunches. He looked up into her eyes and whined.

She knelt down before him and wrapped her arms around the large dog's neck. "Oh Puppy! I am so, sooo sorry!" She sniveled and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. "Listen, I think you're the same size as Paul is." She thought about what she had just said and sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Want me to see if I can find something for you to wear?"

Padfoot looked into her eyes. _Clothes!_

She laughed through her tears and she nodded. "Yes, clothes. Then we can talk. We need to _talk_ , Puppy!"

She rose to her feet and turned away to head for the stairs and then, she _heard his_ _voice_. "Angela?"

She froze and closed her eyes for a moment and she thought: _if warm fresh caramel had a sound, his voice would be it...low, smooth, sweet and hot enough to burn_...and she soooo loved freshly made caramel..."Yes?"

"Sirius. My name is Sirius. Sirius Black."

She turned her head, careful not to catch sight of him again in her peripheral vision and nodded, then continued on to the staircase bound upward to her bedroom.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo....Sirius finally meets Angela face to face! Kindly let me know what you think!
> 
> All the love...  
> 'Nique


	7. Chapter 7

Angela took the opportunity to book a visit to Salem while Paul was away at a week-long veterinary conference in Colorado; he'd been watching a snow squall come over the Rockies on the television and he was excited as he might be able to go skiing while he was there.

Angela and Laurie packed the car with their luggage, snacks for the trip, plus one very large black dog. Sirius had been in a very foul mood since Angela came downstairs. Yet, he seemed doubly careful to assist her with any last minute details and she wondered why he was being so nice and it seemed that he was trying so hard to be overly sweet toward her. She knew that he was worried about his friend Remus and more so, his god son Harry who she learned had been orphaned as an infant (she cried her eyes out for over a half hour over the boy and she'd never even met him). Sirius had told her the entire story over three bottles of wine one night when Paul was working the third shift at the animal hospital. She had gotten used to his sullenness and it still sometimes unnerved her. Still, there were the dogs to get to the kennel and other odds and ends that needed attending to and she was grateful for the assistance.

Padfoot sat outside the car and stared hard at his reflection in the highly polished door of the four-door sedan, nicknamed _The_ _Mom Mobile_ because of the doggy nose art on the back windows.

"Damn man," Laurie quipped, "what's got your knickers in a knot?"

Padfoot rolled his eyes and huffed as she opened the door and he hopped into the back seat of the car.

Sirius materialized and leaned up on the front seats as she got into the front passenger seat, keeping an eye out for Angela. "Men don't wear _knickers_ , Laura," he said curtly.

"Oooo... _Laura_ is it? Yikes! Scared of _you!_ " She chuckled. "Look, if you don't wanna go, tell her! You can look after the dogs...it'll certainly save her some _moola_..."

Sirius wrinkled his face. "What the fuck is moola?"

" _Money_ , Sirius. Jeez!"

"Shit," he spat as he saw her approaching the car.

"What," Laurie asked.

"Tell ya later. She's coming!" he said as he transformed into Padfoot.

Angela opened the door and slid into the driver's seat and inserted the key into the ignition. "Y'all ready?" She saw Laurie smiled happily and turned toward the aggravated animagus and scratched his chin. "What about you, Mister Black?"

The dog barked happily in her ear and she immediately plugged it with her finger, trying in vain to cease the ringing in her right ear she was suddenly plagued with.

"Great," she said happily and turned the key to start the engine and adjusted the radio volume...she liked it loud when she was alone but today, she was with her sister and her best guy-friend.

"If you don't like the music, feel free," she said and Laurie plucked out two CDs. "Okay, I can take a hint. What are they?"

"Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie," Laurie replied happily.

"Pretty Hate Machine?"

"Of course!"

"Oh joy, more techno-crap," Sirius droned. He howled when the first song began.

"Shut up and listen to the lyrics," Laurie said.

He gave her a playful sneer. "How apropos."

"What's that," Angela asked looking into the rear view mirror at his eyes.  He merely shook his head and leaned back and propped up his legs on the center console between the two women.

Sirius stared at her reflection in the mirror and she smiled. Finally, he smiled too.

They traveled north for five a half hours and finally arrived at their destination. Sirius had dozed off in the back seat and Angela gently shook him awake. "Hey, we're here," she said quietly.

"Oh good," he said, his voice thick from sleep. "Did I snore?"

"No more than Padfoot," she teased.

"Lovely. _Sawing logs_..." he slid over and opened the car door then slid out and stretched. He looked out at the building. "Is this it," he asked.

"Yup. Come on?"

Sirius nodded and happily followed his best lady-friend into the small castle-like structure. "It's quaint. I quite like it, actually."

"I'm so happy that it meets with your approval, Mister Black."

He grinned as he placed his hand at the small of her back in a most intimate fashion as they stepped over the threshold. "Don't get cheeky with me, Misses Dunbar."

She chuckled and he licked his lips then he laughed. It felt good to be out in the open as himself, the sun on his face, no fear in his heart and a pretty woman by his side...so what if she wasn't his? She was his friend and that mattered more to him than all the gold in Gringotts.

After they checked in, they were showed up to their rooms and the inn keeper assumed that Angela and Sirius were sharing a room, since she presented as Misses Paul Dunbar. Angela reminded the woman that three rooms and been requested. The woman apologized saying that she thought she misheard her on the telephone. Once the inn keeper left them, Sirius ran across the room and somersaulted onto the bed and smoothed out the crimson and gold bedspread upon flattening his body out. "Cushy," he said with mock seduction.

"You get the room next door, Puppy," she said with a sympathetic smile on her face.

Sirius frowned and produced a barely audible whining noise. He sat up and removed his boots and then sat cross-legged on the large canopy bed. "So, do you have an appointment to purchase your wand or are you merely going in?"

She nodded and licked her lips. "Yeah, _we_ have an appointment. I booked one for both of us actually."

Sirius' eyes became large and his jaw dropped...his expression was one of hope. "You did?"

"Well, yeah! You need a wand too, don't you?"

Sirius nodded his head slowly. "I do, yes," he whispered. _Why can't you be mine..._

"The shop closes at six and our appointment is at seven. I guess so the wand maker can get some supper?" She shrugged.

"Perhaps, maybe? Yeah."

She nodded and smiled and turned when she heard a side door open. Laurie stepped through it and her gaze fell upon Sirius as he lay back on the bed and put his hands behind his head and grinned. "Well well, don't you look comfy?"

"I am yes," he purred as he scrunched up his face into a luscious and very seductive grin. Angela felt her face grow hot. He leaned up on his elbows and gazed thoughtfully at her.

Seeing this, Laurie gingerly approached her sister and took her elbow, leading her away from the alluring wizard. "Sissy, I really think you'll like this room better. It looks way different than the photos. They don't do it justice. And the bathroom is heavenly!" She looked to Sirius. "You'll excuse us, won't you," she said sweetly and pursed her lips toward Sirius.

"Ohhhh fine. Just leave me!" He feigned mock-hurt and fell back to the bed again. "I'll just lay here on this lovely bed..." He sat up. "ALL BY _MYSELF!_ "

Angela stepped through the door and gasped. The owners of the small Victorian mock-castle had worked hard to renovate the exterior and interior to look like a real castle. The rooms were huge and there was a fireplace and private bath in each room. Laurie was all too correct: Angela had fallen in love with the room instantly.

"Look at that bed! It's on a platform and everything! And the walls and ceiling! Oh my god," she exclaimed, ending in a whisper. "The chandelier..."

Sirius stuck his head in through the door and took a look. "How very huffle-fluffy," he said. But he smiled. It tickled him that she was so in love with the room.

Angela turned around at hearing his voice. "Very _what_?"

"Hufflepuff. One of the four houses at Hogwarts School of..."

" _Witchcraft and Wizardry_ ," Laurie finished smiling. "I think he's referring to the colors. Gold and black."

"Ah," Angela replied, nodding her head. She looked toward the handsome wizard as he made his way into the room with a swagger. He turned a full 360 and eyed everything. It looked to have been crafted by a wizard. It felt comfortable. Comfortable and safe.

He looked toward her and smiled and blinked his eyes slowly. " _Yeah_ , you'd have been placed in Hufflepuff," he teased.

"What house were you in Sirius," Angela asked.

Sirius smiled and chuckled. "Not _Hufflepuff_."

"Bet I can guess," Laurie said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I know a little bit about the houses at Hogwarts. _Hogwarts, A_ _History_. Required reading."

"Ahhh." Sirius nodded his head. "I see. Fine then. Guess?"

She approached the man oozing sexuality and she circled him closely, her fingers touching the long, thick black lamb shearling coat. "Based on what I know about you from Sissy, if I had to guess, I'd have to say, Slytherin."

Sirius' face turned dark. "What do you say that?"

"Well, from that and what I've seen first hand...ambitious and cunning and proud. Aren't those the hallmark core traits?"

"I'm not proud," he replied gruffly. "Not any more." His eyes flitted around toward the ceiling.

"I'm sorry Sirius," Laurie sorrowfully. "I didn't mean to offend you. You must be a Gryffindor then?"

Sirius nodded his head and glanced into her eyes for half a second. "You my dear, would be the Slytherin."

"I've always thought I'd be in Ravenclaw actually." Laurie nodded with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders. "But you're probably right."

Finally Sirius chuckled as he looked to both Angela and Laurie. "Are you two hungry? This evening might take a while. We should eat first."

"That's a really good idea. My wand took three hours, don't forget," Laurie said, reminding her sister, who nodded, her lips pulled in and her brows raised. "Anyway, Misses Jones said that she'd be serving dinner in about an hour and that was forty-five miutes ago."

"Yup," Angela sighed.

The three went to look at the other room where Laurie was to stay the night and found it to be much smaller version of Sirius' room, only with electric lighting. She said that it suited her and opted to take that room. Sirius stared holes in the younger woman and she finally turned and winked at him as she walked by and waved them toward the corridor and onward to the dining room.

They entered the dining room to find only three place settings and they sat down with Angela at the head of the table since the trip was mostly for her. Misses Jones brought out the first course and then the three ate as if they hadn't eaten for a month...they were ravenous. The fork-tender beef melted in their mouths, as did the rest of their meal, which they all but inhaled. Sirius reached for Angela's hand and she looked up at him with surprise, her cheeks instantly on fire, but he only meant to look at her watch. He quickly looked toward his empty plate.

"We've got to get a move on," he said in a hushed tone.

Laurie raised her brow and secretly smiled as she looked between the two of them.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some pretty significant cursing in this chapter, but it's toward the very end, in the form of a "howler" and some internal thoughts belonging to Sirius.

Laurie ha been talking to Sirius quite animatedly in the car. She told him that the wizarding community lived in near-total secrecy which was why after having been paid a visit by the local wizard magistrate when she had just married Paul, Laurie who was still a student at Ilvermorny and on holiday mostly because of her sister's wedding, protested in the harshest manner possible, stating that Angela didn't know any better...she was only guilty of following her heart and demanded that they leave. Sirius nodded his understanding: _She doesn't know the rules._

The trio walked down the sidewalk and found the address on the outside of the building. It was clearly advertised and Angela looked up at the hanging sign and her lips curled into a smile...it was exactly the same as she remembered; it was still as bright a sign as she remembered...

A woman pulled back the blinds, smiled and then looked hard at the woman standing at the door to her husband's shop. She then looked to the two people waiting behind her and opened the door. "Angela?"

"Y-yes," she said shyly, her tears welling in her eyes. She recognized the woman instantly as having been a friend of her mother's when she was a little girl.

The German woman took Angela's hands in hers and pulled her in. "Do you remember me?"

Angela nodded. "You're _Loni_ ," she said, a long-pent up cry left her. The woman embraced her tightly and held her close. Angela looked over at Loni's husband and giggled. "Hi Chester-Lester," she said warmly.

The man standing behind the counter smiled and eyed the pretty woman. He leaned on his counter-top, his brow raised in an exaggerated fashion. He pointed his wand and shot out pink glittery snow toward her as he rounded the corner toward the door. "You Missy, are the only person who has ever been allowed to get away with calling me anything as silly as Chester-Lester!" He embraced her warmly. "Look at you! All grown up! Excuse me dear, I have business to conduct." 

He finally reached the door and welcome his other two patrons into his shop; his eyes having been on a small red envelope that was nestled in some other correspondence that had only begun vibrating at an alarming rate, demanding to be read only minutes before. He had eyed his wife warily...He was aware that the man who now stood before him was a former auror and was wanted by nearly every Wizarding community in the world for various crimes...His wand was at the ready...at the very least, he could protect the women...or die trying.

"Good evening. my name is Leicester Ollivander." Sirius turned pale and the man's eyes shifted toward him. "Please come in! Would you care for a cup of tea, Mister Black? Or perhaps something a bit _stronger_ ," he said as he smiled and nodded, stretching out his arm, welcoming him in after having locked them in. "I have several communiques from Dumbledore in addition to a howler hand-delivered by a very large black Auror, whom quite frankly, I wish to never see again."

"Who's the woman," Sirius asked, his eyes wary.

He smiled warmly. "My wife Alonna. Angie has been communicating with her via muggle-post regarding the long overdue purchase of a wand. A wand that has curiously enough, has been sitting in the top left hand drawer of my wife's dresser for over twenty years. Had we but known where she was, we would have sent it to her," he admitted winking his eye at Angela. Then his face turned somber. "How long have you known this man, Angela?"

"Since Christmas."

He nodded. "You like living dangerously, then?"

"No...NO! It's not like that! He's a good man!" She looked into Loni's eyes imploringly. "He's a _good man_... _I promise!_ "

Sirius closed his eyes and his body relaxed. So did Leicester.

"I don't understand what's going on here," Laurie said as she shook her head. "Black I get, but how do you know my sister?"

"My wife and her mother were very good friends."

Laurie's face crumbled. "My mom knew your wife?"

Leicester stepped back to have a look at the young woman nearly sobbing standing  before him and he took her hands in his. "Actually my dear, your mother was _my_ friend first. We went to school together. At Hogwarts." He turned to his wife and touched her arm. "Loni? Apparently Mary had _two_ daughters? Did you know?"

Loni turned her head and gasped and returned her eyes to Angela and then back to Laurie. She held out her arm to her and Laurie nearly ran her over and embraced her. "Oh," she whispered. "I can see different aspects of your mother in both your faces."

"Now I know why Daddy sent me in here by myself," Laurie said quietly.

"Hawthorn, thirteen and three-quarter inches and....dragon heart-string. Am I right?"

Laurie looked toward him with awe. "That's it, exactly! How did you know that?"

"My dear, I made it. I know exactly where my babies go!"

"How do you do that, anyway," Sirius asked. "Your father does that as well!"

Leicester looked toward his wife and then to Angela and she giggled and nodded. " _Ancient Chinese secret_ ," the three of them said in unison.

Sirius and Laurie eyed the other and she shook her head. "I don't get it?"

"It was a TV commercial back in the 70's," Angela said.

"Oh," Laurie said. "Well, I guess since you already have your wand, Sissy? Just gotta get him one then?" She motioned to Sirius.

Sirius and Leicester were already at work. Since Shacklebolt knew that Sirius was hiding out in the states, he thought that expediency was paramount. Finally, after a half hour, a wand finally chose him. Leicester informed him that the wand had a built in safety feature...a locking mechanism built into the hilt of the wand. When Sirius inquired about the runes on the hilt, Leicester told him that he was advised to inscribe the wand with the symbols in a dream. He unfortunately had no idea what they meant. Sirius nodded his head and accepted the wand and he reached into the pockets of Paul's denim jeans for several galleons and remembered that he had no money and he closed his eyes  and lowered his head.

"Mister Black," Leicester said quietly, "I know you're good for it."

Sirius held out his hand. "As soon as I return to London."

Leicester grinned. "It's alright. I know where you live."

Sirius' brow raised in amusement. "Oh?"

"Alright. I know about _where_. I know the street and the block. And I can count." He winked at the younger wizard, causing Sirius to laugh aloud and Laurie and Angela looked over at him. Angela covered her mouth at hearing the barking sound and she struggled to keep from laughing herself, while Laurie giggled quietly.

"Well, aren't you going to try it out?" He crossed his arms over his chest, his fingers covertly over his wand, just in case.

He looked over toward Laurie and waved his wand toward her covertly and changed her hair a deep burgundy with golden highlights causing her sister to gasp. "Oh. My. God."

"WHAT!" Laurie shrieked. "WHAT DID HE DO!"

Angela took hold of her handbag and reached in and produced a small compact, that Laurie snatched out of her hand faster than lightning. She fumbled with opening it as Sirius leaned back on the counter, crossing his arms as he grinned, completely pleased with himself. When she looked at her face and didn't see anything, she looked up at her air and gasped, but not in horror...she squealed with delight instead and ran over to Sirius and threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS FOR MONTHS!"

Sirius pretended to look bored. He looked to Angela and shrugged his shoulders. "Is that so?"

She leaned into him quite seductively. "Yeah," she said quietly. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess," he said softly. He looked over the top of her head at her sister who was smiling and nodding, as if to congratulate him. Or was she giving her permission? He wasn't sure...he was getting mixed signals from her and he was maddened by it.

"I think we should go out and see what kind of night life this town has to offer," Laurie said. She looked up into Sirius' eyes. "What do you think?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Alright?"

They both looked toward Angela. "Oh...that's okay. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel."

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Third wheel? You wouldn't be a third wheel."

Laurie pulled her to the side. "Sissy, come on! I really want to go out! We've _lots_ to celebrate..."

"Your hair having been glamoured up is cause for celebration?"

"No," she pouted. "You finally got your wand and besides, I don't want to go by myself and he's not going to go without you. He likes you."

"Well, I like him too," Angela said.

"No Sissy, you don't understand. He _likes_ you..."

Her eyes moved to the handsome wizard who was pretending to look at the small artifacts on the many shelves, stealing glances. Loni giggled to herself having see the goings on between the three. "Laurie is just like her mother," she whispered to her husband. Leicester agreed by nodding and he left his wife momentarily to give Sirius the correspondence that had been awaiting him, including the howler which was now vibrating madly, sounding like a bumble bee's buzzing. Sirius accepted the letters and grimaced when he took hold of the howler. Angela walked up to him and looked at the red envelope.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Mmhmm."

"I've never seen one in person before. Is it true that they really yell at you?"

Sirius nodded his head. "Mmhmm."

"Well good luck with it."

He thrust it in her hands. "You open it?"

Angela shook her head. "It's not mine. What if it's private?"

"It's going to scream at me, Ang. How private do you think that's going to be?"

"Do you know who it's from?"

Sirius shook his head. "No idea." He rolled his eyes a second later and nodded his head. "Well, I _might_ have an idea."

"Oh?"

"One of two...three. Four. Five? Six. One of six people."

"Six? Are you sure?"

He grinned. "No love. I'm _Sirius_."

She opened her mouth to speak and closed her eyes and sighed as she shook her head.

He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Come on, please? I'll owe you forever! Please?"

"Oh? You'll _owe_ me?"

He grinned and chewed on his lower lip. "Mmhmm. _Forever_ ," he whispered.

She looked over toward Laurie who wore a huge grin on her face and then to Loni who was chuckling silently. Finally she took the howler from his fingers and held it up before him and opened it as she squeezed her eyes closed and turned her head away.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry! Thank you for opening me, but I do respectfully request that I please be delivered to Sirius Black. Thank you in advance!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quietly, completely startled.

"No worries dear! Cheers," the howler happily chirped.

Sirius lost about five inches from his height and he writhed about, grimacing and moaning.

Angela held the howler up. "I take it that you know who sent it now?"

Sirius' face was pained and he nodded. " _Remus_ ," he grunted.

"Remus? Your friend? Your _best_ friend?"

"Yeah," he replied meekly, still grimacing. "He's _so pissed off_..."

"How can you tell? He sounded pretty genial to me."

Sirius shook his head and whispered, "no, no, no...his voice was thin. His teeth were gritted tightly. I know the look all too well."

Angela looked to Loni. "Is there someplace private he can go to get yelled at?"

The old couple looked to the other. "Just the loo," Leicester replied.

"Fine. Where is it again? I don't remember."

Loni pointed. "Through those doors and to the right."

Laurie clasped Sirius' hand in hers and pulled him up. "Oh, come on you scardey cat," she said.

Sirius met his eyes to hers in horror. "Hey, you don't have to insult me!"

She thrust the howler toward him with her other hand.

"Right. I ought to just get it over with. It's just he can be _brutal_..."

"Well, he obviously thinks you have it coming?"

Sirius cast his gaze to the side and he nodded finally. "Come with me though? You said that you'd protect me..."

"From a _letter!_ Oh, please!" She glared at him. She licked her lips and looked at anything that wasn't him to keep her annoyance in check and finally looked into his eyes. His pupils were severely dilated. He was truly afraid of the contents of the letter. "Fine," she said. " _Come on!_ "

She pulled him toward the small half-bathroom and closed the door behind them. the room was tiny and very cramped and they were very nearly on top of her and she pulled herself up on the tiny commode and let her legs dangle. Sirius stood before her.

"How loud is this going to be be?"

"It's going to be quite... _loud_ ," Sirius whispered.

"Alright. But you owe me, _big time!_ "

He nodded and withdrew his new wand from his back pocket and cast a silencing charm around the tiny room so that no one else would have to hear the god-awful noise that he was about to unleash. She handed him the red envelope and he winced.

She nodded. "Open it."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as his fingers lifted the red parchment flap and it slipped from his fingers and hung in the air between them.

"SIRIUS FUCKING BLACK! I _CANNOT_ BELIEVE THAT  YOU LET A WOMAN OPEN THIS HOWLER! AND I _REALLY_ CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU DITCHED ME IN SAINT FUCKING CROIX!  LET ME TELL YOU THAT I HAD TO DO SOME _MAJOR_ EXPLAINING AND HAD TO PAY A SHITE-LOAD OF FINES, WHICH CAME OUT OF _YOUR_ GRINGOTTS ACCOUNT, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW! DO YOU KNOW THE BACK PEDDLING THAT I HAD TO DO JUST TO GET BLOODY-FUCKING KINGSLEY OFF MY BACK! FOR TWO MONTHS! TWO MONTHS! I COULDN'T TAKE A SHITE WITHOUT THAT MAN BREATHING DOWN MY NECK! I CAN NOW NAVIGATE THE ENTIRE AUROR'S DEPARTMENT IN A BLOODY-FUCKING BLINDFOLD IF I HAVE TO, _I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW_ , I'VE BEEN THERE SO MANY TIMES! GAAAAAHHHH! YOU FUCKING OWE ME BROTHER! DO YOU HEAR ME! YOU FUCKING _OWE_ ME!"

Sirius was laughing.

Laughing to the point that tears were streaming down his face and he embraced her and held her tightly to him, pulling her from the top of the commode and she had to straddle the business end of the toilet along with him. He finally looked at her and quieted down instantly.

"That actually wasn't too bad," he said, as he put his hands on his hips.

She looked up at him and squinted and shook her head. "WHAT!? I CAN'T HEAR A BLOODY FUCKING THING!"

He couldn't hear a word she had said and circled his arms around her again as he laughed then brought his lips to hers as he tightened his hold on her. When he pulled away, his smile faded when he saw the look of shock on her face and he put as many inches between them as he could, which only amounted to about three. _Oh, I just completely fucked up...Oh god! The look on her face! She hates me now. Damn it! Damn it!_ _Damn it_ _!_

His blood ran cold through his veins and arteries as he closed his eyes and waited to be struck and he didn't notice her hand reaching up, nor did he feel her delicate fingers threading through his hair to pull him down to her into a heated kiss until it was too late. He opened his eyes in shock and then melted like caramel.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first kiss...whooo....
> 
> Please let me know what you think of the chapter and the story so far!
> 
> Thank you....  
> All the love,  
> 'Nique


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sirius, Angela and her sister, Laurie head out to a '90's club, fashioned to one similar to the world's most famous nightclub, New York City's Studio 54. There is some minor drug use, some drinking and a bit of dancing, but what happens during this chapter is crucial to the story...the club scene is only the backdrop.

Sirius sat in the back of the car quietly as Laurie navigated the streets of Salem from the passenger's side. Finally they found the dance club that Loni had suggested. It was a muggle establishment and she didn't think that there would be any wizards or witches there, so Sirius' identity would be safe.

Angela parked the car once she found a spot and she shifted the gears into park and sat quietly. Laurie was talking, but she still couldn't hear all that well. She pinched her nose and blew, opening her ears, but it wasn't as effective as she'd hoped it would be.

"HONEY, YOU'RE GOING..."

Laurie scrunched up her face and turned away holding up her hands. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL! I CAN HEAR JUST FINE!"

"I'M SORRY!"

Laurie looked toward the heavens and shook her head. She made sure her sister was looking at her and she used part sign language and speech to convey her thoughts. "I will do the talking. People are going to think you're nuts!"

Angela nodded and she turned around in her seat to look at Sirius. His eyes met with hers and he smiled secretly at her and then looked down at the howler in his hands that he knew would forever be a memento of what he hoped would be their first kiss.

They got out of the car and Laurie clasped her hand to her sisters and motioned that she should take Sirius' so that they wouldn't get separated. Sirius remained silent, but the smile was evident in the dark parking lot and only Angela was aware of it and why it was there in the first place.

When they arrived at the door, they were required to show identification and Sirius pulled back...he had none. As as he pulled Angela back in near panic, he felt something in the back pocket of his jeans that hadn't been there a second prior. He removed a leather billfold and tried to pry out the driver's license that one of the witches he was with had transfigured into his pocket. The bouncer, seeing his struggle with it, merely held his hand out and Sirius turned it toward him. The man squinted to see it and then nodded and tapped his wrist with a rubber stamp. Sirius looked at it and laughed as he read what the stamp had transferred onto his skin... _The Leaky Cauldron_. 

The man raised his brow. "What's so funny?"

Sirius raised his brows. "Hmm?"

"What's. So. Funny."

"Oh! There's a Leaky Cauldron in London. Just surprised me is all," he said, his accent obviously surprising the bouncer as well.

"Oh." The burly man shrugged his shoulders and let him in as the two ladies waited just beyond the door. "Enjoy your evening, Sir."

Sirius smiled and nodded. "Thank you!"

Sirius shoved the billfold into his back pocket and entered the dark club. He could feel the bass thumping and could somewhat hear some of the high notes of the music that was being played...and that was about all; his ears were still ringing from Remus' howler.

Angela held on to Laurie and Sirius and she looked up into his face as he scanned his surroundings; she saw his wand in his left hand and the tip barely glowing. She squeezed his fingers and dropped her gaze. He put his lips to her ear. "LOOKING FOR OTHERS. YOU KNOW?" His teeth grazed her earlobe and she breathed in deeply as she closed her eyes slowly and sighed. Laurie flagged down a server and asked if there were any tables available at all and the girl pointed toward the balcony and learned that the seats were an additional twenty dollars... _each_. She relayed the cost to her sister, who  rolled her eyes and nodded. She withdrew a credit card.

"PLASTIC?"

The girl nodded and moved to take it, but Laurie shook her head and withdrew it from her sister's hand. "My treat," she said and produced a hundred dollar bill and she pulled the girl over and said something into her ear. She girl looked at her and nodded and motioned that they should follow her. Minutes later, they had a comfortable view of the entire establishment. The girl left them momentarily and returned with a chilled bottle of white wine and a bottle of single malt as well as the appropriate glasses. Sirius saw a pretty girl in barely-there shorts and a not-quite large enough halter top offering smokables and flagged her over. He reached across Angela's lap and Laurie placed a fifty in his hand. He purchased several machine rolled "cigarettes" and nicked the plastic lighter from the girl's tray with a wink of his eye and a handsome smile. The girl smiled in a flirting way and turned on her heel to leave them.

He lit the joint and inhaled deeply, only to cough it up immediately. 

"Been a while, huh," Laurie asked.

He nodded and tried again. "Yeah," he grunted, inhaling deeper.

Angela rose to her feet and started dancing in place to a favorite song as she poured her sister a glass of wine and then tipped the bottle to her lips. Angela's lip curled as she held up the glass. "IS THIS ALL I GET!"

Laurie pointed. "YOU'RE _DRIVING!_ "

Sirius howled with laughter when he saw the prim and proper Angela raise two fingers in a backward peace sign effectively telling her sister to fuck off.

"IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT!" She cast a glance toward Sirius and he raised his brow as if to question her. She merely shook her head and continued dancing. Soon though a nice looking man asked her to dance and led her downstairs to the dance floor. Angela stood and followed Laurie with her eyes. Sirius leaned back in the booth and threw his arm along the top edge and looked toward Angela to see her leaning over the railing to watch her sister dance, her own body swaying slightly to the music. He smiled appreciatively.

He continued to nurse the joint but before it was finished, he approached Angela and offered her the last bit of it. She nodded but instead of placing it into her fingers, he turned it around and placed it between his teeth and lowered his lips to hers and slowly blew the smoke into her mouth as she inhaled. Only when her eyes clenched tightly, did he stop, his eyes focused keenly on her face. He returned to the booth and sat down, patting the spot on the bench seat right next to him. She looked into his eyes and exhaled finally and approached him and stood before him. His hand reached for her thigh at her bottom and he pulled her over to him. She twisted and all but fell onto his lap and he draped his arm around her shoulder and across her lap, holding her in place. 

"This is cozy," he said.

"Sirius..."

He nodded. "I know," he replied quietly. He released her instantly. _Yeah, she's a Puffin'_ , he thought to himself with a grin. He poured two fingers worth of the scotch into the glass and sank it quickly. He closed his eyes tightly. " _WHOO!_ "

Angela laughed as she shook her head.

He cocked his head to the side and withdrew the billfold from his pocket and opened it and read the name and address on the drivers license: James Black 227 Woodlands Road West, London.

Sirius searched his foggy memory and knew the area to be the one of the richest streets in all of London. He smiled and nodded and held it up to her, his brow raised in question. She nodded and grinned.

"How positively criminal," he purred. "How did you know to do this?"

"It was easy. I _can_ transfigure, you know?"

He nodded. He'd seen her do it many times as Padfoot and he returned the billfold to his back pocket and smiled. He draped his arm around her again mostly because he saw three different men eyeing her up and he cut his eyes toward them then lowered his lips to her ear again and told her so. She nodded once.

"Thanks," she said through her smile.

He nodded and looked out toward the dance floor below them. He had lost sight of Laurie and he craned his neck to try to get a better view and Angela placed her handbag on the floor behind her feet along with Laurie's. She had no idea how much money her sister had, but she knew that she certainly didn't want it stolen.

Then Angela heard a familiar squeal of a guitar and the booming bass of toms and she squealed and rose to her feet instantly then she turned and held out her hand. "Dance with me?"

"I don't know this, he said.

She smiled. "So? Follow my lead."

His brow raised and he took her hand in his and rose to his feet and she pulled him to her in a most intimate fashion which he found quite pleasurable. Her hands went straight to his hips and she pulled his around her and she closed her eyes as her body undulated to the music. Sirius knew this dance, he'd done it many time in his youth...it was _sex on the dance floor_...Then he listened to the lyrics and he watched her closely delighting in her movements, primal and full of intense sexuality.

_"If I was your girl, oh, the things I'd do to you,_   
_I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to,_   
_If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you,_   
_But I'm not, so I can't, then I won't, but if I was your girl..."_

When the dance was finished, he tilted her face toward his and tenderly kissed her. "You could be, you know," he said through the feathery kisses.

She looked up into his eyes. "How would you feel if it were you on the outside being cheated on?"

He pulled away and lowered his hands. "About that..." He returned to his seat and poured another glass and drank it quickly. She returned to her seat and picked up her sister's handbag and rooted through it, finding and withdrawing a cigarette case, opened it and withdrew a cigarette. She clicked the case shut and placed it on the table. She then reached for the lighter, having to reach across him to get it. She lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply, held in the smoke for several seconds before exhaling. Finally she pulled her leg under her and turned toward him.

"Well, I know what it feels like. First hand."

"You do..."

"I know he's having an affair."

His eyes grew wide. "You do!"

She turned her head and found her sister easily on the dance floor and she shook her head...Laurie was in the middle of four guys. "I'm not stupid," she said.

"No, you're definitely not," he replied. "But I must admit, I'm quite relieved to hear that you know. I've been wanting to tell you for forever!"

She leaned back and settled in close to him after having seen the men looked over toward her again. Sirius saw them as well and draped his arm loosely, but protectively around her and pulled her to him even closer.

He realized that she was lost in her own thoughts and he felt he unsteady breathing and he tilted her head to his lips and he kissed her hair and shook his head. Laurie trotted up the staircase and saw her sister in Sirius' arms.

"Oooo....don't you two look cozy!"

Sirius shot her a warning glance and barely shook his head. She looked closer at her sister's face which was completely unreadable, but her eyes were filled with tears, threatening to spill over at the first blink of her eyes.

"Hey...Sissy? Sissy? What is it?"

She shook her head. "I want to go back to the hotel."

Laurie nodded. "Okay. We'll go. Right now." She looked to Sirius. "Can you drive a car?"

"I haven't in about fifteen years, but yeah I do know how."

"Wait." She put her hands on her hips as she looked at the bottle; there was more in the bottle than out of it. "How fucked up are you?"

"Only mildly buzzed."

She nodded. "I'll drive." She flagged down their server. "Can we take these with us?"

"I don't care. You bought them. Just don't let the bouncers see you."

Laurie nodded. "I can do that. Hey, thanks, you've been great," she said as she withdrew a fifty from her bra and place it in the girl's hand.

The girl smiled and nodded and motioned to Angela. "Hey, is she okay?"

"Oh yeah. She's just suffered a break up and we're trying to cheer her up is all."

Sirius threw back his head and groaned as Angela laughed. "Behold! My sister, the seer!"

Laurie turned toward them. "What?" She stared at her sister and realized what she had said. "Oh hell no! You'll be a widow before you're a divorcee!"

Angela tilted her head as she stared her sister. "No. You will sit down and you will shut up. _Right now_."

"Story of my fucking life!" She plopped down next to her and crossed her arms over her breasts.

Angela nudged her sister. "Hey, anarchists unite, right?"

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!"

Angela smiled and pulled her sister to her and kissed her burgundy and gold hair. "That's my girl!"

Laurie curled her lip and rolled her eyes and grumbled and Sirius smiled finally and then chuckled. His thoughts returned to Regulus, his deceased brother.

____

Once back at the hotel, they each went to their respective rooms and after about an hour, Sirius opened the door that joined his room to Angela's and leaned against the doorway. The moonlight was but a sliver as it shone on her bed, but it was enough to see her. He watched her pull back the duvet and sheet  behind her curled body and he removed his opened button up shirt from his torso and placed it on a nearby chair and approached the bed. He gazed upon her and he transformed into Padfoot and hopped up on the bed and lay next her her. She rolled over and circled her arms around the large dog, buried her face in his thick fur and cried herself to sleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the world would be a far better place if we ALL had a Padfoot of our own...What do you think?
> 
> Let me know in the comments below!  
> All the love,  
> 'Nique


	10. Chapter 10

Laurie was the first to awaken and she used the pass key to check on her sister. Opening the door, she heard a low snoring sound suddenly stop. She struggled to see the bed, but she could see a large dark thing in the middle of the bed and she watched it pick up it's head and yawn as she produced her wand for light and protection if needed.

"Padfoot." Laurie sighed and put away her wand. She watched him as he materialized into Sirius and noticed that he was still half-dressed. "Well, aren't you quite the gentleman?"

Sirius sneered as he scratched his head. "Don't go spreadin' that around, alright? I do have an image to maintain you know." He looked toward Angela who was sleeping peacefully. "Took her forever to get to sleep," he said quietly.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me yesterday?"

Sirius nodded.

"She must feel like complete shit."

"I would say so. She kept asking what was wrong with her and why, why, why? All night."

Laurie nodded. "Her confidence level must be at an all time low right now."

"I can imagine. But there's nothing wrong with her...it's _him_."

"Yeah," Laurie replied as she nodded and brushed her sister's hair from her face tenderly. "She doesn't deserve this."

Sirius agreed. "No one does." He breathed in deeply as he looked away. "But you know? I'm not entirely convinced that he doesn't love her."

"What do you mean?"

"I live with them, you know? It's them in all their marital glory, the good, the bad and the ugly. There's no pretenses. He's kind to her. Gentle, and honestly, he's very loving. There's just no...intimacy."

"You mean he doesn't want her," she whispered.

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think that's it either. I've seen him walk around with a raging hard-on for her, but he doesn't act on it!"

"Then, what's the deal?"

"He only gets really weird when he is leaving for one his conferences."

Laura's eyes registered agreement. "You know what? I think you're right. What if he's seeing someone he works with?"

Sirius nodded. "That was my thought. Some pretty little nurse or something."

She scrunched her face. "I don't think the nurses attend the conferences. I think they're just for doctors. I could be wrong though?"

Angela's mobile phone began ringing and both of them looked toward Angela's handbag.

"There's only one person who'd dare call this early."

"Paul?"

"Yup," Laurie replied. She reached into her handbag, grabbed the phone, and held out the phone for him to see and pressed the on button and answered the call. "Good morning, Paul," she said with mock-happiness.

"Hey Babe," he said sleepily.

"Not yer babe. She's still sleeping."

"Oh! Laurie?"

"Yeah!"

"Why are you at the house? Is Angela alright! The dogs!"

"Everything's fine. We're not at the house, we're in Salem at the moment."

"Salem? As in Massachusetts ?"

"Yup."

"What the hell for?"

"She picked up her wand yesterday.'

"Oh."

"Turns out the wand maker and his wife were very good friends with our mother. Isn't that cool?"

"Wow, that is cool," Paul replied. She could hear the smile in his voice. "Umm, who's watching the dogs?"

"They're at the kennel. We are heading back this morning."

"Oh, okay. Well, the roaming charges are going to bankrupt me, so let me get off this thing. Please tell her that I'll call her later, okay?

She nodded. "Yeah sure. Oh! How's the conference?"

"Hasn't started yet. I'm getting ready to hit the slopes. I'm on the lift as we speak, actually. It's really cool first thing in the morning up here! It's still dark, but you can still see everything. It's amazing! I really wish Ang were here...she would love this!"

"I'm sure she would," Laurie said quietly as she looked at her sleeping sister. She nodded and rolled her eyes. "Okay well, let me let you go then. I'll tell her that you called."

"Alright, thanks!"

"Uh huh. Bye," she said.

"Talk to you later!"

She turned off the phone and held out the phone before her, pretending that it was his neck and that she was strangling him. Sirius chuckled and shook his head and pointed to her. "You're not right in the head, girly!"

"Well, he just pisses me off!"

"Who pisses you off," Angela asked sleepily.

"Paul. He just called."

She sat up immediately and blinked her eyes. "Paul called?"

"Yeah."

"May I have my phone please?"

"He said that he would call you later."

"Did he say when?"

Laurie shook her head and eyed Sirius as he looked around the canopy and the walls...Finally he cleared his throat and Angela's eyes widened. Her head slowly turned to the side and saw him laying on his side, facing her, then she heard Laurie's voice: "Relax with ya? If you'll look down, you'll see that your nightie is still on you, a little twisted but not cause he did it...anyway, it's there and if you'll look beneath the blankies, you'll see that your panties are still on you too. If I had to guess, I'd say that neither one of you got lucky!"

Angela glared at her sister.

Sirius inhaled deeply. "I think that's my cue to vacate," he said and spun over and put his feet on the floor and stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go drown my sorrows in a cup of coffee. Excuse me, ladies?"

They watched him as he shuffled toward the door, still shirtless. "What sorrows," Angela asked.

He stopped and turned on his heel. "Well, if you must know..."

"We must, we must," the two women replied in unison.

Sirius raised his brow and squinted his eyes, causing his one eye to twitch a bit, but he drew a breath continued. "You see, I had the perfect opportunity to seduce and bed a beautiful woman, but ohhhh no! I completely failed in that regard, didn't I? I had to go and be the perfect gentleman! They're going to revoke my lifetime membership in the International Players' Club for this!" He shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave the room, but stopped the turned toward them again. "Ah, but it's nothing that a very cold shower won't remedy, I reckon?" He started out the door to his room only stopping when he heard her say his name.

"Sirius Black?"

He turned to face her, sulking. "Yes?"

"You're my hero..." She said smugly and smiled knowingly.

He stared at her for a moment, taken completely by surprise. "Sod off, Ang!" He smiled warmly and closed the door behind him.

Angela giggled and lay flat back on the bed.

"He really is a good guy isn't he?"

"Oh yeah, he can be. Moody as hell sometimes though."

"Yeah, but aren't most guys," Laurie asked. Angela pulled the pillow over hear head and screamed into it as she nodded and kicked her feet beneath the covers and Laurie shook her head and sighed. She lifted the pillow from her sister's face. "Hey!"

"Whaaaaat," Angela whined.

"Why don't you come downstairs and get some grubbage with me and we'll get home after that? You get a discount if the dogs are picked up by noon, right?"

Angela nodded and closed her eyes again and pulled the sheet and bedspread over her head...She could still smell Sirius on the sheets and it filled her senses.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit explicit. I have placed a break in the chapter near the beginning of the section of text that might by some, be found to be offensive. It goes to the end of the chapter.

Easter Sunday found Angela alone again. It promised to be a beautiful day and his friend John from work had invited Paul to go golfing with him and a few friends. She realized that theirs had become a marriage of convenience and she had come to the realization that she wasn't even slightly bothered by it anymore. She thought about moving into the guest room and having her dogs and perhaps one or two of the friendly barn cats sleep with her.

She had slept in as Paul had agreed to take care of the animals prior to his departure.

In the months since Sirius had come to live with the Dunbars as Padfoot, Sirius and Angela hung out everyday. They had become quite close as friends. She had taken him to get his hair cut and purchased clothes from a shopping mall two cities away with the money that Remus had wired to her from Sirius' Gringotts account. The week prior, she was relieved to learn that he had feelings for her when she had accidentally over heard Sirius talking to Remus via the mobile phone that she had also purchased with his money for him to keep up with Remus and Harry.

"Moony, I don't know what to do mate. I'm in love with the woman...yes, yes, I know that she's married...but it's not like he pays any kind of attention to her...(he laughed into the phone). Yes, I know it sounds like one of those really bad romance novels that Lily used to read...I wish you could meet her! You'd fall in love with her too...I know...I have to get home soon. It's going to be so hard to leave her. Whenever I think about it, my heart caves!"

Never in a million years had Sirius ever thought that he'd ever be in love with anyone...certainly not with a married woman.

Sirius padded up to her bedroom with a breakfast tray. He woke her up gently as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Hey sleepyhead, wake up..." he said gently.

She rolled over and covered her head and groaned.

"Nooooo," she whined. 

"Come on, get up. I brought breakfast up for you."

"Breakfast," she asked in her pillow.

"Yeah, so up and at 'em love! Come on!" He reached beneath the blankets and tugged at her arm gently. 

She sat up and rubbed at her eyes and flopped her arms in her lap and looked at him sleepily. His eyes were locked to hers. "Is he gone for the day?"

Sirius nodded. "I believe so, yes."

Her face was unreadable as she turned her head and stared straight ahead into the darkness of her room. 

"Come on love. Won't you eat something please," he asked as she lay back down and put her head in his lap. "We can hang out and play video games later...you promised me a rematch, remember?"

She nodded, but remained silent. 

"Come on love, your food's getting cold." He helped her sit up and the sheet fell finally, revealing her shoulders and breasts to him and he swallowed hard and breathed in deeply as he pulled up the top sheet and duvet to help protect her modesty and she smiled and chuckled as she shook her head.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"It's alright," he replied. "I hope your eggs are alright. I know how picky you are about them!"

She glared at him and then grinned as she placed her hand to her breasts. "Moi?"

Sirius grinned and pursed his lips as he nodded. "Mmhmm."

"Surely you can't be serious?"

He raised his brow and his grin was even more evident. "Ohhh, but I am Sirius and please, don't call me Shirley."

"Buh-dum-dum," she quipped and tore into her toast.

She and Sirius had a quick laugh and it pleased him that he could somehow manage to brighten her mood and he informed her that he would even clean up the dishes once she finished. He left her to finish her breakfast in peace and headed downstairs. Once she had eaten all that he had cooked for her, she donned her housecoat and fuzzy slippers and took the tray downstairs to the kitchen and heard the water running in the bathroom. She didn't want to rinse the plate if he were taking a shower. The little transistor water-proof radio was playing on an oldies station and he was singing to himself. She let herself in relieved herself quickly so as not to disturb him. Then, she had a thought and she prayed that he was up for it.

* * *

 

She stepped out of her slippers and let her house coat fall to the floor and pulled back the shower curtain and opened the sliding glass door of the tub and stepped inside. Sirius stopped singing when he felt the cool air as it wafted over his soapy body; he spun around and looked at her in shock.

"I didn't thank you for my breakfast," she said.

"Oh, that's alright," he said pleasantly.

She shook her head. "No it isn't," she replied quietly. "It's was rude. And anyway, I'm still a little hungry." 

"Oh well, we can see what else we have..." He saw her shake her head as he watched her eyes watch the trailing of the water on his body. "...and no?"

She stood quietly watching the water leaving the shower head, rinsing off the soap from the front of his body and tenderly lapped at the water on his neck and collarbone as her fingers roamed along his body. Finally she pulled back and licked her lips and she looked up at him; his eyes were closed and he was holding his breath. She wound her fingers around the nape of his neck, effortlessly pulling his face down to hers for a long and full and very wet kiss. Her body felt heavenly to him and he felt like his heart would surely burst open if he couldn't have her...his hands were busy exploring every inch of her and they both smiled through their shared kiss.

Sirius was afraid that he was dreaming...and if he was, he certainly didn't want to awaken any time soon.

She gently pushed him back a few inches and sank to her knees; her fingers trailing down his skin around the finely toned muscles of his legs until she steadied herself. When she looked up at him, the look of shock that was evident in his face was quickly replaced with molten desire for her. He closed his eyes when he felt her long elegant fingers circle around his growing erection and he moaned softly when he felt her tongue flatten on the underside, moving up and then swirling at the top. When she took him in, he opened his eyes and gazed down upon her, her hair now quite wet had flattened against her face, neck, shoulders and down her back. His hand picked at the strands and pulled it from her face...he wanted to look at her face as she made love to him with her lusciously warm and very wet mouth.

"God, you are so beautiful," he whispered as he held on to the top of the sliding glass doors with one hand and her head with the other, gently pulling at her hair. He gasped when she moved toward the filling sack, tonguing each ball in turn and then back to his raging hard on. "Do you want a warning," he asked with difficulty. He hissed when he felt her teeth gently graze the head of his cock and he grinned. She looked up at his facial expression and couldn't help but smile through her ministrations to him; his rolling eyes and nodding head, effectively expressing, _I'm an idiot and I'll shut up now_. She giggled when he did manage... " _Damn it all woman...fuck me... please!_"

She grinned and sucked harder, her lips tightening around the shaft and she reached her one had to his balls and the other to the tight cheeks of his bum, giving him a gentle, yet playful squeeze. He was going to explode any second and she was fully aware of it. He released his load with a glorious moan of pleasure. When she was finished with him, she stood up,smiled and kissed his wet lips, sucking on his lower lip just before pulling away. "Thank you for the breakfast," she said as she opened the door and stepped out. She slid the door behind her and picked up her housecoat from the floor and pulled it on her wet body then slipped her wet feet into her slippers and left him to reflect on what had just happened between them. She walked out of the bathroom only to walk back in. "Oh and the dessert was great too!" 

* * *

He laughed quietly to himself...and he prayed to all the gods he knew of that she wasn't done with him just yet.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The morning of the first of May, Sirius woke up with Angela snuggled to his body and the sun in his eyes. They had slept outside beneath the stars with only the small fire that had long died out, a few blankets and each other to keep warm with. He opened his eyes and craned his neck to see that she was already awake and he kissed the top of her head. She reached up to kiss the underside of his chin. He didn't want to awaken any further...he wanted to stay beneath the covers and even though that silly little gray barn cat liked to sleep on his head, he found that he didn't mind it so much...he felt that he was where he was supposed to be...even though he was fully aware that he had other commitments that he needed to address...Harry being the main focus of his attentions. But for the moment, it was Angela and only Angela. 

"Hungry," she asked, yawning.

He growled playfully. "Not for _food_."

She giggled. "You didn't get enough last night?"

"Oh hell no!"

She chuckled and rolled on her side and propped her head up on her arm as her finger moved through the hair on his chest, drawing imaginary circles on his skin. "Well, it is Beltaine."

He grinned. "Yes it is," he purred and she allowed him to pull her down to him and rolled her over and have his way with her again. She marveled that he was sometimes so incredibly gentle with her and sometimes, he pounded into her as if his life depended on it. This particular time, he seemed needy, as if when he withdrew from her, she would disappear into nothingness...he was going to miss her so! He wept bitterly, hoping to hide it from her. He realized when she rolled him over and sat up over him and looked deeply into his eyes, that he was a silly man for thinking that he could hide anything from her. She leaned onto him and kissed his face, tasting each streak of salty tear one by one.

Over breakfast they discussed Sirius' final travel plans, if only so that  were on the same page...so much could go wrong and neither of them wanted him apprehended. Loni had called in a few favors and had a passport visa created for him so that he could leave the States and reenter at Heathrow Airport. He tapped his tickets on the table nervously.

"His next _conference_ is in two months in July," she said. "In _Hawaii_ of all places."

He nodded, keeping his silence.

"I'm leaving him Sirius," she said.

The tapping of the tickets ceased abruptly, his gaze finally meeting hers.

"But I want to see his face when he realizes that I know. I've already booked a room. It's being held at a _resort_. Sun and fun and... _whoo_ ," she said sarcastically.

He made a noise of contempt and shook his head.

"The only problem is that I have nowhere to go."

He breathed in deeply and reached for her hand, holding it tightly. "Then come home."

She looked into his eyes, brow still furrowed.

"Come home to me."

She smiled and withdrew her hand from his. "They'll kick you out of the International Players' Club, won't they," she teased.

He took her hand in his again as he moved closer and he his eyes seared through hers. "I mean it, Angela. Come to London?"

He stood abruptly and walked over to the kitchen desk and opened a drawer and withdrew her stationary. He grabbed an ink pen and wrote down his address: 12 Grimmauld Place, Whitehall, London England and placed it before her and tapped it with his wand, making her a secret keeper. He explained that the house was hidden from anyone who wasn't a secret keeper. "You should be able to find it though with this."

He told her that he was going taking a shower and as an added addendum once he was free of his clothing, he leaned in the doorway and she looked sideways at him and raised her brow. "I wouldn't mind the company," he told her. The far away look in her eyes told him no and he pressed his lips together in disappointment and turned away, sliding the pocket door closed behind him.

Angela's mind was processing thoughts at a million miles a minute however...there was the sale of the house and property...And then there was the welfare of her animals...all of them. The barn cats would continue to congregate to her property as they were all born there; meaning, whoever purchased the property, would inherit the cats just as they had. Her dogs would accompany her, as well as her horses. She was aware of a mandatory quarantine placed on all animals coming into the UK, so there was that...and how would Sirius feel about a bunch of dogs and a couple of cats running around in his house anyway...they were her kids...her fur-kids and she wasn't about to leave them behind. 

She called Loni and asked if she knew how to go about getting started with something as ugly as a divorce proceeding. Of course, being married to one man for nearly all of her life, Loni had no idea. "But Leicester might know," she had imparted to Angela, and if he didn't, he probably knew someone who did. She promised to call her back later with information of some kind...Angela and Paul's marriage was frowned upon because it was considered taboo...a mixed marriage of wizard and a no maj. She was considered a blood-traitor and she grinned...Sirius was too. But here they were, wizard and witch finally getting with their own kind...

And she wondered why she hadn't done it sooner?

___

Sirius stood in the shower, letting the hot water hit between his shoulder blades and cascade down his legs. He had been wanting to ask her to run away with him and he laughed quietly. He was glad that he didn't approach her with it quite like that...she would have laughed at him...she had _responsibilities! Geeze Sirius!_

Then it hit him quickly: _her animals_. She wouldn't _dare_ leave them behind with him...that was the issue, he was sure of it. He would ask her when he got out of the shower. He quickly washed his hair and lathered up his body and let the water rinse him off. He exited the shower to find the kitchen empty. He listened hard and heard her outside. He walked to the back door, with nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist. Still barefoot, he stepped out onto the walkway that led to the barn and saw a Frisbee flying through the air, and Goalie running hard and fast to catch it. He watched the dog jump, twist in midair and sail backward to catch the plastic disc. His smile grew when she and the dog trotted toward each other and she embraced the large dog's neck. Sirius breathed easier and he felt his smile grow.

 


	13. Chapter 13

The telephone rang and Angela trotted to the phone and looked toward the caller ID box to see who it was; she really liked the new technology that allowed her to see who was calling. The call was from her sister and she picked up the receiver.

"Hey Girly," Angela said.

"Hey! Is he there yet?"

"No, he's left for work already. He's working a double apparently," Angela replied, rolling her eyes.

"Mhmm. How are you doing," Laurie asked gently.

"I'm okay."

"Uh huh. Is _he_ okay?"

Angela looked to Sirius. "Are you okay?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

Angela was silent as she gazed toward her best friend and lover. "Sissy?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. He's okay. _We're okay_."

This response elicited a head tilt and a frown from Sirius. "God will get ya for lyin'," he said.

She stuck out her tongue and he grinned...every single fiber in him wanted her again...

"That can be arranged," he said. "We have a bit of time you know."

She  gazed at him from across the room and looked at the phone in her hand and put it to hear ear. "Yeah sorry, I'm here." Sirius laughed quietly.

"Are you sure," Laurie joked.

"Yeah, I'm sure... _Sirius_..."

"I understand," Laurie said gently. "Listen, I was only calling to tell you that I'm on my way to the airport now. Transatlantic flights have a tendency to run late so if I run into traffic, I should still be okay."

"Well, you have about an hour and a half to get there."

"Right. An hour and a half to go a few miles! Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," Angela replied. "See you in a bit."

"Yuppers!"

"Laurie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for doing this," Angela said quietly.

"Oh Sissy...you're welcome!"

Angela hung up the phone and looked to Sirius. "She's on her way to the airport."

Sirius nodded silently, frowning as he sighed, his elbows on the table as he held his head in his hands. She thought that he suddenly looked liked a man who'd been condemned. She put her arms around him from behind and held him tightly.

"I don't want to leave," he said quietly.

"I know."

He turned around in the kitchen chair and straddled it and wound his arms around around her, holding her close to him. "You realize that if it weren't for Harry that I wouldn't be leaving right?"

She pulled away and knelt before him and looked into his eyes. "If it weren't for Harry sweetheart, you wouldn't even _be_ here."

He smiled warmly and nodded. "I can't wait to see him though...I bet he's grown so...but I suppose I won't get to see him until the new term starts."

She smiled as she tilted her head slightly. "I guess this is what parenthood is like?" She kissed his ear.

He shrugged unhappily. "I wouldn't know?"

She smiled, "oh, I don't know about that. According to Remus, you've charged to that kid's rescue...how many times?"

Sirius smiled and nodded. "I've lost track, actually," he chuckled.

"Well, there you go!"  
_____

Laurie drove along the quarter-mile driveway as Remus and Harry looked out the windows.

"It's beautiful here! Sirius said it was!"

Harry pointed to the horses in the pasture through the trees. "Oooo! Are those Miss Angela's horses?"

"Mhmm."  
____

Angela heard the car approaching slowly and she nudged Sirius awake as she slipped back into her summer dress. Sirius groaned and covered his face with the pillow. "Come on, get _up_ ," she insisted removing it from his face as she pulled him forward, lifting him from the bed.

"I _was_ up, but you took real good care of that, Darlin'," he drawled causing her to giggle.

"Hey, I was wondering?"

"What's that, love?"

"Will he, god! This is embarrassing! But do you think that Remus, I mean, will he, you know, _smell us?_ "

Sirius tried in vain to keep a straight face as she covered hers with her hands.

"Oh god!" She squealed and not happily.

"It's alright though. He won't say anything to you. I however, will certainly hear about it later though!" His grin grew wider.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, you know!"

He laughed quietly. "Oh, I know Darlin', I know!"

"Hurry up and get dressed...I have a surprise for you!"

"Oh?"

She smiled then turned away as she slipped into her panties and slid them up her legs; Sirius gazed toward her longingly until he heard multiple voices outside and his face was suddenly unreadable..." _HARRY_ _?!_ " Angela beamed and nodded.

Angela had never seen him get dressed so fast in her life.

Sirius flew down the staircase and ran outside. "HARRY!"

Harry turned his head and ran toward Sirius, his face lighting up, his arms out. She watched as Sirius and the boy collided hard into a fierce embrace and her breath caught in her throat, and Remus turned to gaze upon her and he smiled warmly as he approached her silently and stood next to her. "He so loves that boy," Remus said quietly. She looked into his hazel colored eyes and smiled, then looked down toward his outstretched hand. "My name is Remus Lupin. I am so very happy to finally be meeting you, Angela."

She smiled as she took her hands in his and pulled him into a warm embrace. "You're dealing with an American pagan-witch Remus," she said. "We hug here!"

Remus smiled knowingly. "I bet you two galleons that Sirius told you that I would say nothing, didn't he?"

Her face turned scarlet. "This you not saying anything?"

Remus grinned and nodded and she could see the tiny laugh lines in his face as he chuckled warmly. He breathed in deeply, clearly taking in her scent that was mingled with Sirius' own...she exuded no fear of him..."Surely Sirius has told you about me," he asked, whispering in her ear.

She pulled away and looked up into his hazel eyes again. "That you are a snarky but kind-hearted, brilliant academic-type? Oh yeah, you bet he has!"

His face suddenly turned dark and somber. "That isn't what I was referring to."

"Oh, you mean your _little furry problem?_ "

He nodded, his eyes locked to hers. "That's exactly what I'm referring to. Yes."

"Yes. Yes, he has." She took both of his hands in hers and held them tightly. " _And?_ "

The good Professor looked as if would lose his composure at any moment.

She threaded her arm though his and led him toward the house. "Well, the way I see it Professor, it isn't an issue until you make it one," she said happily.

"Oi," Sirius called out toward them and they turned around to face him as Sirius approached with Harry in tow. "Not tryin' t' steal my girl there are ye, Lupin?"

Remus stood stock still as Sirius bellied up to him, engaging him in a stare down. Finally Remus shook her head. "No, I wouldn't do that to the poor woman...one nut-job is one too many for _anyone_ to bear!"

Sirius grinned and embraced him tightly. "Thank you for bringing Harry," he whispered.

"Wasn't my idea," he said motioning toward Angela who was fawning over Harry.

"Thank you for inviting me," Harry said shyly.

"Oh honey, we just had to have you here!"

Angela knew that while the boy might have craved physical closeness, he wasn't at all comfortable with it, especially after having learned how the boy grew up. She wept for the boy as Sirius imparted Harry's story to her and understood as time went on, that Sirius and Harry were two birds of a feather. She realized that she had her work cut out for her if she decided that she would ever attempt to mend the two broken souls. Now that she met the boy finally, that she would be there to see them both through.

She put her arm around the boy's shoulder. "Say, are you hungry at all?"

Harry nodded. "Just a little bit," he confessed.

"Great! Do you like fried chicken?"

Harry's face lit up and he nodded.

"You'll like her fried chicken Harry," Sirius said. "She makes it just like the elves do at school!"

"The story goes that our mother used to sneak into the kitchen and watch the house elves prepare the food..."

"Your mother attended Hogwarts," Remus asked.

"Yup!"

"What house was she in," Harry asked.

"Ravenclaw," the two women replied together proudly, causing both men and the boy to laugh.

Angela waved her hand and they watched as lawn chairs set themselves up and then they heard music playing quietly in the background. Harry was about to get a rare treat as Sirius and Remus sat down on the lawn chairs to relax and allow themselves to relive a bit of their childhood through the music.

Remus sang to every single selection that played through the speakers set up in the windows to play the music in stereo. When asked by Harry why she simply didn't magic the music, she responded thusly:

"Because Harry, I prefer to hear the music as organically as I can get it. Magic isn't always better. The faster you learn that, the better off you'll be." She and Sirius rose to dance and sing:

_"I've been thinking about our fortune,_   
_And I've decided that we're really not to blame,_   
_For the love that's deep inside us now,_   
_Is still the same._

_And the sounds we make together,_   
_Is the music to the story in your eyes,_   
_It's been shining down upon me now,_   
_I realize._

_Listen to the tide slowly turning,_   
_Wash all our heartaches away,_   
_We're part of the fire that is burning,_   
_And from the ashes we can build another day._

_But I'm frightened for your children,_   
_That the life that we are living is in vain,_   
_And the sunshine we've been waiting for,_   
_Will turn to rain._

_When the final line is over,_   
_It's certain that the curtain's gonna fall,_   
_I can hide inside your sweet sweet love,_   
_For ever more."_

Clearly, Remus, Sirius and Angela were lost in their own little world and took Harry and Laurie on a trip down memory lane, each sharing their stories and no one noticed that they were being watched as they ate of the supper than Angela had prepared. Many of the barn cats stayed close by the small fire between them that Sirius and Angela had created only days prior to celebrate Beltane by and Sirius spent a lot of his quiet time, staring at the fire, a far away smile on his face.

 


End file.
